MA Is Among The Best States To Raise A Family In New Ranking

MASSACHUSETTS — A new ranking that looks at housing affordability, job prospects, education quality, health care availability and other quality-of-life measures puts Massachusetts among the best states to raise a family.

Overall, Massachusetts ranked No. 1 in the analysis by the personal finance company WalletHub, which used data from federal agencies, foundations and other sources to compare the 50 states across five areas.

WalletHub said it put Massachusetts in the one spot "in large part because it provides a good blend of economic opportunities and safe conditions for children. The Bay State has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and lots of job opportunities relative to the labor force, which ensures that parents will be able to provide for their children. It’s not the cheapest state, as housing and childcare costs are relatively high compared to most of the nation, but residents make up for this with fairly high incomes."

A strong education system, high-quality health care, and excellent water quality also contributed to the ranking.

WalletHub said the ideal state for families is one that is affordable during times of high inflation and also offers high safety, good job prospects, high-quality education and entertainment.

Each of the five categories in the WalletHub analysis was worth 20 points, but scores were weighted in areas where states over-performed in delivering services that are desirable to families.

Here’s how Massachusetts, which had a total score of 66.97, ranked in the various categories:

Family Fun: 9
Health & Safety: 5
Education & Child Care: 1
Affordability: 3
Socio-economics: 21

Overall, the five best states for families are Massachusetts, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and New York, respectively, according to the analysis. Here’s how states fared in various categories:

States with the highest median family income: Virginia, Minnesota, Illinois, New Jersey and Colorado.

States with the most-affordable housing: Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Kansas and Ohio, respectively.

States with the lowest child care costs: South Dakota, Missouri, Mississippi, Utah and Minnesota, respectively.

Best states for families with young kids: Utah, Texas, Alaska, Nebraska and North Dakota, respectively.

States with the lowest infant mortality rate: North Dakota, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Oregon, respectively.

States with the fewest violent crimes per capita: Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Wyoming, respectively.

States with the lowest percentages of people living in poverty: New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah, Vermont and Colorado, respectively.

States with the lowest separation and divorce rates: Utah, North Dakota, New Jersey, Hawaii and Nebraska, respectively.